the garden of emeralds

Kopice, Opole, Poland

An old storefront (Polish Baroque) in Kopice. Appears to be a general store or post office

An abandoned home or shop (Art Deco)

A porcelain statue on a cross sits in a garden.

A building with graffiti in Kopice

The exact time of Kopice’s establishment is unknown, though it’s existed as far back as the 13th century. It’s name is thought to come from, kopiec, the Polish word for ‘mound’. It was one of many German-Polish villages, though for a time during the First Silesian War in 1742 to Prussia. It is best known for its abandoned Gothic castle. Kopice Castle was owned by many families over the years, though the last to have it was the German family, Schaffgotsch. It belonged to this family until 1945 when it was abandoned during the war and began to be looted. Later in 1958, it was burned, though it survived intact. Today, there are around 1,000 residents living in Kopice.